Greenwich Dances festival

From Friday 16 June until Saturday 8 July, Greenwich Dance will host a collection of inspirational dance performances, free outdoor events and opportunities to get involved. Forming part of the Royal Greenwich Festivals and now in its seventh year, Greenwich Dances sees local people perform alongside world-class artists in and around the Royal Borough.

Festival Highlights This year’s Greenwich Dances reaches all parts of the Royal Borough of Greenwich – and opens on Friday 16 June with Moving Woolwich, a vibrant celebration of dance at General Gordon Square. Amongst a series of lively performances, there's even a chance for the audience to take part and get involved in the celebrations. There’s also a platform for young dancers programmed by and for young people, celebrating the vibrant youth dance scene of South East London.

Two internationally renowned female choreographers will be bringing their new works to The Borough Hall as part of the festival – starting with Frauke Requardt on Saturday 17 June. Requardt's new work Mothers is an honest and chaotic take on life as a mother – with slippery bodies performing across sticky surfaces. As well as an evening performance, there is also a relaxed performance at 11.00 where parents and carers can enjoy the performance with their baby, without having to worry about finding a babysitter. Breastfeeding is welcomed and there will be spaces for buggy parking and changing.

Later in the festival, on Saturday 1 July, choreographer Saffy Setohy presents the London premiere of her latest work Hidden Architectures at The Borough Hall. This immersive multi-disciplinary performance explores the connections and social knots that we make as humans.

Following their Olivier-nominated production of 'Blak Whyte Gray', Boy Blue Entertainment will also be performing at this year's festival (Friday 23 June) – with a special evening of beats, moves and food in The Borough Hall. Co-curating Greenwich Dance's innovative Supper Room format, Boy Blue Entertainment will present a one-off show interspersed with a tasty three-course meal.

In Eltham (Wednesday 28 June), Greenwich Dances will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the classic film Dirty Dancing, with a special free outdoor screening at Well Hall Pleasaunce. Move and a Movie will also include a free workshop, where audiences can learn routines from the film before settling down under the stars to watch the film.

Closing this year's festival, Greenwich Dance and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival will be working together with local communities in Thamesmead to present BELONGING(s), a promenade dance and physical theatre performance through Thamesmead produced by Tilted Productions (Thursday 6 – Saturday 8 July). As part of the preparations for this, rehearsals have already started with local residents who wish to be a part of the performance.

Throughout the festival, there will also be fringe events including discussions, workshops and exhibitions. These fringe events include a practical workshop with Charlotte Spencer Projects, based on her latest project Is This a Waste Land (Sunday 25 June); a Nora Talks discussion about the process of choreographing for an audience (Tuesday 27 June); and an exhibition of materials from Saffy Setohy's Hidden Architectures (Monday 26 – Friday 30 June). The exhibition is part of the London Festival of Architecture 2017.

Amanda Davey, Executive Director and CEO of Greenwich Dance said: "Whether you've never seen a dance event before - or you’re a dance lover looking for the very best in world-class performance - we have something for everyone at this year's Greenwich Dances festival.

“Once again many of our events are completely free, and for our performances at The Borough Hall, we’re able to offer a limited number of £1 tickets to local residents – so if you’ve never experienced dance before, you can give it a go without having to break the bank. We hope you can join us for the biggest Greenwich Dances festival yet!”

Councillor Denise Scott-McDonald, Royal Borough of Greenwich Cabinet Member for Culture, Creative Industries and Community Wellbeing, said: “I am delighted that the Greenwich Dances festival is not only continuing to bring talented dancers and local communities together but also many events are free to attend, helping ensure people from all backgrounds can get involved.

"The strong and varied programme helps attract local residents and visitors alike, making important contributions to our local economy and helping reinforce Royal Greenwich as a must-visit destination."

Booking Information Many events at this year’s Greenwich Dances are free, with no need to pre-book – just turn up on the day.

For Greenwich Dances’ performances at The Borough Hall, tickets can be booked in advance. Tickets are limited for these events so advanced booking is recommended.

To book your tickets:

• Book online at greenwichdance.org.uk

• Call the Greenwich Dance Box Office on 020 8293 9741

• Book in person at The Borough Hall, Royal Hill, Greenwich, SE10 8RE

Once again, Greenwich Dance is offering a limited number of £1 tickets, enabling local residents to experience live dance without breaking the bank. These limited tickets are available to local residents living in the Royal Borough of Greenwich who have not seen a performance at Greenwich Dance before.

£1 tickets are available for Greenwich Dances’ performances at The Borough Hall:

• Mothers by Frauke Requardt (Saturday 17 June)

• Hidden Architectures (Saturday 1 July) To claim these £1 tickets, call the Greenwich Dance Box Office on 020 8293 9741.

Greenwich Dances is part of the Royal Greenwich Festivals, supported by the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Greenwich Dances is produced and presented by Greenwich Dance, based in the heart of Greenwich in the iconic Grade II-listed Borough Hall on Royal Hill. Greenwich Dance receives core funding from both Arts Council England and Royal Borough of Greenwich.

For more information and full event listings visit www.greenwichdance.org.uk

Submitted by David Hopkins